Research and technology training seminars & courses

Αdvanced Photonic Microscopy Training Seminars

1st Seminar: Applications of Photonic Microscopy Methods in Biomedical Research and Diagnostics

2nd Seminar: Advanced Photonic Microscopy Methods and Their Applications in Biomedical Research and Diagnostics

Organizers: Dr. Dimitra Thomaidou and Dr. Charalambia Boleti (More information, Poster, Programme, Training Materials)

These two advanced training seminars were organized at the Hellenic Pasteur Institute within the framework of the Hellenic Photonic Microscopy Network, coordinated by the Institute between 2004 and 2006 in collaboration with the University of Ioannina, the Biomedical Research Institute of FORTH (Foundation for Research and Technology-Hellas) in Ioannina, and the University of Crete.

The seminars combined theoretical lectures with hands-on laboratory training. The theoretical component covered the fundamental principles of photonic microscopy, including bright-field and fluorescence microscopy, as well as the advances made possible through the integration of digital imaging technologies with optical microscopy. Participants were also introduced to the principles and applications of confocal microscopy.

Particular emphasis was placed on the applications of photonic microscopy in biomedical research and medical diagnostics, especially in the fields of infectious diseases, cell biology, and neuroscience. The seminars also presented state-of-the-art technologies, including fluorescent protein-based imaging and advanced techniques such as FRET (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer), FRAP (Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching), and FCS (Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy). In addition, modern approaches to in vivo imaging, including time-lapse video microscopy, were discussed by distinguished speakers from Greece and abroad.

The practical sessions were designed to provide participants with hands-on experience in sample preparation for conventional and confocal microscopy, staining techniques and reagents used for the visualization of intracellular molecular markers and cellular morphology, operation of upright and inverted microscopes, and the use of digital cameras and image acquisition software. Participants were also trained in digital image processing and analysis methodologies.

The activities of the Hellenic Photonic Microscopy Network were funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology through the programme Competitiveness – Human Research and Technology Training Networks. Additional support for the organization of the seminars was provided by private-sector partners, including HYGEIA Hospital, Analytical Instruments S.A., and LAB SUPPLIES. Analytical Instruments S.A., Scientific Instruments & Equipment, and Labor Science S.A. contributed equipment and technical personnel for the practical laboratory training sessions.

Programme Coordinator : Dr. Charalambia Boleti
Optical Microscopy Unit & Department of Microbiology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute

Teacher Training Seminars for Secondary Education Biology Teachers at the Hellenic Pasteur Institute (HPI)

An initiative for the dissemination of contemporary scientific knowledge in Biology

Organization and Editorial Coordination:
Dr. Charalambia Boleti – Dr. Sylva Charalambous
(Poster, Programme, Seminar Materials)

Three training seminars for secondary education teachers were organized at the Hellenic Pasteur Institute (HPI) on 26-28 June 2006, 18-20 December 2006, and 2-4 July 2007. The primary objective of this initiative was to convey the new scientific and social reality to secondary school teachers of Biology, who are among its principal disseminators.

"When excellence in research is set as a primary goal, excellence in education should be pursued with equal commitment. When continuous updating of knowledge becomes a social necessity, so too does the continuous reform of education."

Motivation for Organizing the Seminars

Advances in the biological sciences today constitute a new axis around which a significant part of the global economy is structured. The rapid generation of vast amounts of new scientific data leaves little time for their social integration. Modern citizens must be able to distinguish between useful innovations, potential risks, and unrealistic expectations. This is essential, as they are required to make decisions that enable them to benefit from scientific and technological developments while at the same time protecting themselves from potentially harmful extremes.

Achieving this requires sound education and reliable information. The scientific community, in particular, must play an active role in disseminating and facilitating the understanding of new knowledge. It is responsible for developing communication initiatives that help knowledge recipients recognize both the benefits and the risks associated with scientific progress. New approaches to understanding and managing knowledge are needed, approaches in which both quantity and quality are promoted as equally important values. Interdisciplinary perspectives, critical thinking, evaluation, and the placement of scientific knowledge within its historical context can contribute significantly to achieving this ambitious objective.

Objective

In line with similar initiatives undertaken by scientific centers throughout Europe, the Hellenic Pasteur Institute, responding to this need as an organization with a social role in both Public Health and Education, secured funding from the General Secretariat for Research and Technology through the “Open Doors” programme. Within this framework, the Institute undertook, among other activities, the initiative to organize a series of educational seminars focusing on cutting-edge biotechnological and life science topics.

Implementation

To achieve this objective in the most effective way, active researchers from the Hellenic Pasteur Institute, a research center with an internationally recognized contribution to cutting-edge biomedical research, undertook the task of transferring the latest advances in biological research to secondary education Biology teachers. These educators are, in turn, responsible for ensuring that future citizens acquire an accurate understanding of these scientific developments.

Topics Covered

The seminars focused on the relationship between selected contemporary scientific discoveries and the corresponding emerging or established technologies. Emphasis was placed on their theoretical and practical dimensions, as well as on their interdisciplinary nature.

Characteristics of the Initiative

The seminars, held during the periods 26-28 June 2006, 18-20 December 2006, and 2-4 July 2007, were characterized by:

• The participation of speakers from diverse scientific disciplines and professional backgrounds.
• The involvement of young trainers, including postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
• Collaboration with the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL-ELLS).
• The participation of teachers who, on the one hand, had not previously received formal instruction on these topics and, on the other hand, often came from regional areas where opportunities for experiential engagement with new scientific knowledge were limited.
• The development of a dedicated publication and accompanying CD-ROM.
• A comprehensive evaluation study based on questionnaires specifically designed for each category of participants (speakers, trainers, and teachers) to assess the impact and outcomes of the initiative.

Contribution

The contribution of this project, which we hope may one day become an institutionalized and sustainably supported initiative of the Ministry of Education, lies in fostering a creative, multi-level interaction among social groups engaged in a common field of activity related to contemporary reality. This reality is shaped by developments in the life sciences and defines the world of the twenty-first century.